Middlesbrough’s 3 most underwhelming signings from the last 10 years

Middlesbrough have an unfortunate history of signing players who don’t quite live up to expectation.

This does come after signing some incredible players of the years, like Juninho, Mark Schwarzer, Mark Viduka and so many more. But there have been so many who have quite simply flopped on Teesside, and severely underwhelming.

Middlesbrough’s most underwhelming signings

This is especially the case over the last ten years, with Boro have a checkered transfer record in that time.

Here at FLW, we’ve decided to take a look three former players who have graced the Riverside but failed to live up to expectation.

Martin Braithwaite

There was understandably a lot of excitement when the Danish international joined from French top-flight outfit Toulouse when Garry Monk was in charge.

It was during the spending spree shortly after Middlesbrough were relegated from the Premier League that turned out to be a near disastrous period for the club.

Braithwaite didn’t become the key figure that many expected, managing just five goals in 19 appearances before he returned to France on loan in the January transfer window.

He returned for the 18/19 season but scored just three times in 17 games before another loan was sorted during the winter.

Braithwaite clearly possesses quality as Barcelona came calling shortly after a permanent switch to Spanish side Leganes. The Dane managed ten goals in 58 appearances before moving to their Catalonian rivals Espanyol where he is enjoying a productive season in La Liga.

What’s Jordan Rhodes doing now?

The striker was a big money addition during Middlesbrough’s promotion campaign under Aitor Karanka, signing for £9m. In joining Boro, he was tasked with helping the club to promotion from the Championship – which he did.

Yet, after his six goals in 18 games on Teesside, Rhodes would not score a league goal again for Boro as he was barely used in the Premier League as a result of the arrival of Alvaro Negredo.

So, it may seem harsh to include him on this list, but for the money that was paid to Blackburn at the time, he wasn’t much of a hit. He later moved to Sheffield Wednesday before signing on a free transfer for Huddersfield Town, where he helped them to the play-off final last season.

His influence at the John Smith’s Stadium faded during a turbulent 2022/23.

Aden Flint

The centre-back was seen as the proven, dominant leader that Boro needed at the back to help them to the Premier League under Tony Pulis, but it wasn’t to be as they failed to make the top-six.

Whilst Flint wasn’t a disastrous signing, he didn’t become the key figure many expected. He struggled to regain the form from his Bristol City stint and was subsequently sold to Cardiff City.

The defender is currently on the books with Sheffield Wednesday, who have just recorded 96 points in League One, finishing third.